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A red bowl with mashed potatoes topped with braised short ribs in a rich miso ginger sauce, garnished with sliced green onions and red chili, with a fork resting on the side.
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5 from 3 votes

Miso ginger braised short ribs recipe

Rich, tender, and full of umami — these miso ginger braised short ribs are a make-ahead holiday favorite that’s mostly hands-off and deeply flavorful.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 30 minutes
Chill the braising sauce:30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: braised beef short ribs, Braised short ribs
Servings: 4 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith

Equipment

  • 1 4-quart Dutch oven or Braiser
  • 1 Splatter guard

Ingredients

  • 3.5 lb bone-in beef short ribs about 5-6 pieces English short ribs
  • sprinkle Coarse sea salt
  • sprinkle Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil avocado oil

Aromatics:

  • 4.5 oz shallots diced (or yellow onion) (2 large)
  • 2.4 oz garlic cloves smashed in whole (10 large)
  • 0.85 oz fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin slices (3-inch knob)
  • 3-4 scallions white parts chopped (1-inch), green parts (small rounds for garnish)

Braising liquid:

To finish:

  • 0.2 oz fresh ginger (optional) grated (about 1½ tsp); squeeze to extract juice for finishing the sauce
  • Dry red chili pepper rings (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

Before you start

  • This recipe includes an important make-ahead step. After braising, you’ll need to chill the pan sauce (jus) — ideally overnight, or at least 15–20 minutes in the freezer — so the fat can solidify and be lifted off easily. This step gives you a clean, rich sauce without greasiness.

Preheat oven

  • Set oven to 300°F (149°C). Place the oven rack in the middle position for even heat circulation.

Season and sear ribs

  • Lightly trim the outer edges of the short ribs to remove any excess fat. Season all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the ribs meaty-side down and sear in batches until browned on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side. You should see a light brown crust forming on the meaty side and hear a steady sizzle — that means your pan is hot enough for a good sear. Transfer the ribs to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan
    Three-panel image: First, hands trim fat from raw beef short ribs on a blue cutting board. Second, seasoned beef ribs rest on a light plate. Third, perfectly browned short ribs are plated and ready to braise.

Build the aromatics

  • Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots, scallion whites, ginger slices, and the smashed whole garlic cloves. Cook until fragrant and softened, 3–5 minutes.
    Chopped onions, green onions, garlic, and yellow bell peppers sizzle in a black skillet as a wooden spoon stirs. Steam rises from the pan—perfect aromatics for starting flavorful braised short ribs.

Deglaze

  • Pour in the sake and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to the lowest setting.

Make the braising liquid

  • Stir in miso paste, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and beef stock. Gently stir until the miso is completely dissolved. Finally, add the star anise.
    A pan of simmering broth with braised short ribs, chopped green onions, garlic cloves, ginger slices, star anise, and a wooden spoon on a stovetop. The reddish-brown broth is rich with aromatic spices, vegetables, and tender meat.

Return ribs

  • Nestle ribs back into the pot. The liquid should come about three-quarter way up the sides of the meat.
    Braised short ribs simmer in a reddish-brown miso ginger broth with green onion pieces in a black pot on the stovetop. The rich, flavorful broth surrounds the tender ribs, which are partially submerged.
  • ~ If using a shallower braiser, check that ribs are at least half-submerged. Place the ribs meaty side down, bone-side up.
  • ~ if using a Dutch oven, the ribs should just be peaking up the stock. Place the ribs meaty side up, bone-side down.
  • Top up with a little more stock if needed.

Simmer before the oven

  • Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer on the stovetop. This helps meld flavors and avoids starting the braise cold.

Braise in the oven

  • Cover with lid and carefully transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 to 3½ hours, until the ribs are very tender. Check the ribs after the first 90 minutes to see if more liquid is needed. For reference, I added an extra half cup of warm beef stock to the braise after the first 90 minutes. I also check the meaty side to make sure they are soaked in liquid so they retain moisture as opposed to slow roasting (above the liquid) to dry. I also checked the beef at the 3 hour mark to determine if more time is needed. For reference, I slow roast mine for 3.5 hours total.
    A pan filled with braised short ribs simmering in a rich, red broth on a stove; on the right, a close-up shows broth being poured over the tender ribs.

Check doneness

  • The ribs are ready when a fork slips in easily and the meat is pulling away from the bone, but still holds together when lifted. Transfer the ribs to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
    Two images side by side: Left, a pot on a stove with chunks of braised short ribs simmering in a rich, red sauce. Right, a close-up of tender beef being held with chopsticks over the same flavorful sauce.

Strain the sauce

  • Ladle the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof cup. Use the back of a spoon or ladle to press gently on the garlic, ginger, and onions to release their juices, but stop before the solids pass through — this keeps the sauce smooth. Discard the spent aromatics.
    A person strains a chunky red braising sauce—perfect for braised short ribs—through a mesh sieve into a container; the second image shows the smooth, strained red sauce in a clear container on a wooden surface.

Cleaner sauce

  • To skim off any excess fat, chill the sauce cup in the freezer for at least 15-20 minutes. The fat will solidify on top, making it easy to lift off and leaving you with a silky, non-greasy sauce. For reference, I made this a few days ahead so I chilled the sauce in the fridge 1-2 days in advance, making it very easy to remove and separate the fat from the jus.
    Left: A hand uses a spatula to scoop brown paste from a clear container. Right: A spoon rests in a pan of simmering reddish-brown sauce on a stovetop—both images capture stages of preparing braised short ribs.

Finish the sauce

  • Pour the jus into a braiser. Reheat it over medium to medium-low heat. It should return to a liquid state in a few seconds.
  • ~ If made ahead, add the ribs meaty-side down, cover, and warm for about 10 minutes.
  • ~ If serving same day, reduce the jus until it lightly coats a spoon over medium/medium-low heat (about 10 minutes). You can reduce the sauce with the ribs in the pan if you prefer.
  • Finally, if you prefer a pop of fresh ginger flavor, hold the grated ginger in your palm and squeeze the juice into the sauce to add a final touch and pop of flavor to brighten it up. Stir to incorporate. Turn off the heat.
    Two images side by side: on the left, braised short ribs simmer in a rich brown sauce; on the right, a hand adds minced garlic or ginger to the pan of tender braised short ribs.

Garnish and serve

  • Arrange ribs meaty-side up on a platter or in the braiser. Spoon the sauce over top, add scallion greens and grated ginger for color, and sprinkle dry chili rings if you like. Serve one rib per adult over mashed potatoes with extra sauce spooned on top.
    A hand holds a red bowl filled with creamy mashed potatoes topped with braised short ribs, savory sauce, sliced green onions, and red chili peppers, with a fork resting inside.

Notes

  • Boneless short ribs: You can use boneless short ribs. Follow the same steps but check earlier, as they cook faster — about 2½–3 hours at 300°F. Start checking at 2 hours; the meat should shred easily but stay juicy. Keep the meat at least three-quarters submerged since boneless cuts are leaner.
  • Alcohol-free: replace sake with equal amounts of beef stock.
  • Staub braiser vs Dutch oven: A braiser is wider and shallower, so liquid evaporates faster. Check once or twice during baking and add warm stock if the liquid drops too low.
  • Make ahead & storage: The flavor deepens overnight. After straining the sauce, store the ribs and strained sauce separately in the fridge. Once chilled, the fat will solidify on top for easy removal. Up to 2 days ahead.
  • Reheat for serving after refrigeration: Skim off any fat and reheat the sauce gently until it coats a spoon. Add the ribs, ladle a bit of sauce over, cover, and warm over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes.
  • Why use warm stock when topping up: Cold liquid can drop the temperature and interrupt the slow braise. Warm stock keeps the cooking steady.
  • Troubleshooting: If the strained sauce is too thick or paste-like, whisk in ½–1 cup hot beef stock to loosen, then simmer until glossy. Return the ribs and ladle the sauce over to coat.
  • Meat not tender after 3 hours: Keep braising and check every 20 minutes. Different cuts vary — it’s done when a fork slides in easily and the meat pulls from the bone.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 737kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 2060mg | Potassium: 1728mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 8mg
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